Separable fastener



Mar Ch. 16, 1937. s W

SEPARABLE FASTENER Filed Dec. 4, 1934 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 16, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,074,035 I SEPARABLE FASTENER Sena M. Ward, Bronx, N. Y.

Application December 4, 1934, Serial No. 755,982

4 Claims. (01. 24-201) My present invention relates to improvements in separable fasteners.

In my Patent No. 1,896,129, I have disclosed a separable fastener particularly designed and 5 intended for use in connection with wearing apparel, such as ladies undergarments, and especially adapted for association with girdles or corsets and gartersfor detachably connecting the garters to the girdles or corsets. The general practice prior to my invention disclosed in the said patent was to permanently attach the garters to the girdles or corsets so that when the latter were laundered it was also necessary to subject the elasticgarters to the action of the washing fluids, which adversely affected the elasticity of the garters.

Also in my said patent I disclose a separable fastener which can be used in detachably securing garters to girdles or corsets, and which is of a substantially flat or thin nature so as to create no noticeable bulge on the garments worn thereabove. In the said patent I disclose a substantially flat U-shape part in cross-section which is attached to the garter, and provided in the crown of the fold with an opening to receive another member having a substantially flat tongue provided on its lower end with a flange or lip projecting at right-angles to the flange or tongue to engage beneath the edge of one of the arms of the U-shape member to prevent separation of the said members under natural stresses and normal conditions.

My present invention provides a construction of a separable fastener affording increased thinness or flatness to the fastener, further preventing noticeable'bulges on garments when worn above the garters and girdles or corsets; and also providesa separable fastener which can be manufactur'e'd at a minimum of expense, and con- 40 veniently manipulated by the wearer to separate the garters and girdles and corsets, or other parts joined together by the fastene The foregoing is accomplished by providing that the two members of the separable fastener be thin and flat with all parts, when assembled, located in the same plane, instead of having any of the parts provided with portions projecting at an angle relative to the other.

Inthe accompanying drawing I have illus- 5 trated my new and improved separable fastener in preferred form, and I Fig. 1 is a view illustrating fasteners embodying the present invention applied to a girdle or corset and garters to join the same together; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the parts of the fastener detached and in related position for assembly;

Fig; 3 is a front elevation showing the parts assembled;

Fig. .4 is a central vertical sectional view show- 5 ing the relative positions of the parts at the initial stage of assembly; as on line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is'a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the parts at the intermediate stages of assembly; 10 and Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the parts fully assembled as taken on the line 6--6 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing, in Fig. 1 the letter 5 C designates generally the lower portion of a girdle or corset applied to a human figure, and having attached to the bottom thereof the female member of my separable fastener designated generally by the numeral 1, while the numeral l5 designates generally the male member of the separable fastener which is attached to the arter G.

Referringto Fig. 2 it will be noted that the member I is of generally U-shape in cross-sec- 25 tion, and is formed preferably of very thin resilient sheet metal bent upon itself as at 8, to form two superposed substantially fiat portions or wings 9 and Ill. The portion 9 is longer than and extends above the portion 1 ll 30 and is provided adjacent its top with a slot ll through which the stitches can be passed when securing the member I to a corset or girdle or other garment, as shown in Fig. l. Adjacent the fold 8 the portions 9 and [0 may be slightly separated as indicated by the numeral 12, to receive a part of the male member. The portion to, which forms the front of the member I, is provided with a transverse slot l3, which communicates with a longitudinal slotor groove I4 40 formed by cutting away the lower part of the portion [0 and preferably a part of the fold 8, as.;shown clearly in Fig. 2. The top of the portion ll] of themember l is preferably pressed in against and snugly engages the portion 9. 5

The other member of the separable fastener, that is, the member l5, comprises a flat thin piece, preferably metal, having intermediate its ends rounded lateral extensions ll of substantially the same dimensions as the slot [3 in the 50 member 'I, so that they may freely pass thru the slot. Above the extension I1 is a tongue forming the top of the member l5, and at the bottom of the member l5 are lateral extensions 19 formed with perforations 20, which obviously may be a slot similar to the slot II of member I, to receive the stitches to secure the member I to a garter.

While I have described the members as being made of thin resilient metal, I wish it to be understood that any other suitable material or combination of materials may be used so long as they possess the requisite tensile strength.

With the foregoing description in mind and referring particularly to Figs. 4, 5, and 6, I will describe the manner of assembling and disassembling the parts. To inter-engage the member of inclination with respect to the member I, as shown in Fig. 4, with the tongue I8 disposed in the slot I3 and under the top of the portion Ill. Relative approaching movement is then imparted to the members until the extensions I1 are alined with the ends of the slot I3 at which time the member I5 is swung into the same plane as the member I, as shown in Fig. 5, and at which time the tongue I8 projects above. the top of the portion IU of the member I and the extensions I! are alined with the slot I3. Then the members are given relative opposing movement so that the extensions II ride down into the slight space I2 between the portions 9 and I0, and against the fold 8. The tongue I8 and extensions II are then resiliently gripped between the portions 9 and. II! of the member I, and the abutting engagement of the lower edges of the extension I! against the fold 8 prevents further opposite outward movement of the parts and consequently accidental separation of the parts. A face view of the parts in their fully assembled relation is shown clearly in Fig. 3.

The parts thus assembled are detachably locked together against accidental separation, and may be separated purposely, as for separate laundering of the garments joined thereby, or for other desired reasons, by imparting to the members 1 and I5 relative approaching movements causing the extensions II to be disposed in alinement with the slot I3. In this connection I will point out thatthe lateral extensions I9 on the part I5 are spaced" from the extension II at a pre-determined distance, such that when the extensions I9 engage the-fold 8 of the part I they will act as a stop 'tofurther relative movement of the members and will locate the extension I'I definitely in alinement with the slot I3. The lower end of the part I5 is then pulled out to remove the extension I! from the slot I3 and to permit the parts to be separated by further relative opposite movements. To reassemble it is only necessary to repeat the simple assembling operation as previously explained.

Where a device is to be used in connection with wearing apparel I preferably construct the members I and I5. so that all exposed corners are rounded or smoothed'so that they cannot cut or tear delicate fabrics or garments worn thereover, or to whichthey may be secured. I further prefer to make the said members of resilient metal, such as stainless steel, which will resist body acid and the action of perspiration, so as not to discolor the garments to which they are attached. .-However, there is a wide choice in the selection of materials from which the members may be made. Since the essential features of the preferred embodiment of the invention, and the manner of operating the same I5 in the member I, which serves as a; keeper, the member I5 is disposed at an angle have been hereinabove described in detail, I deem no further description thereof necessary.

I claim:

1. A separable fastener comprising a retaining member of thin( resilient material folded upon itself to provide a flat substantially U- shaped part in cross-section and having a portion of one of its arms out out to provide a slot extending longitudinally upward from the bend, said slot having at its upper end lateral extensions, and a retained membenof thin fiat material having a tongue at its top insertable between the arms of the retaining member at the top of the slot, and lateral projections below said tongue insertable into the lateral extensions of the slot after the tongue has been inserted between said arms at an angle of inclination thereto, said projections on the retained member being located between said arms of the retaining' member and against the fold thereof to prevent separation of said membersby relative outward movement when themembers are completely assembled by bringing said members into substantial parallelism after said projections enter said slot extensions and said members are moved in opposite directions.

2. A separable fastener comprising a-retaining member of thin resilient material folded upon itself to provide a fiat substantially U-shaped part in cross-section 'the arms of which are disconnected and normally resiliently urged toward each other and having a portion of one of its arms out out to provide a slot extending longitudinally upward from the bend, said slot having at its upper end lateral extensions, and a retained member of thin flat material having a tongue at its top insertable between the arms of the retaining member at the top of the slot, lateral projections insertable into the lateral extensions of the slot when the tongue is inserted, said projections being located between said arms against the fold to prevent separation of said members by relative outward movement when the members are completely assembled, and means on said retained member to abut said bend and locate. said projections at said slot extensions when the parts are moved toward each other during disassembly thereof.

3. A separable fastener comprising a retaining member having two thin fiat metallic plates forming arms connected at their lower ends and resiliently urged toward each other above said connection and having. their upper ends arranged in spaced relation, one of said arms having a part of its central portion removed to form a longitudinal slot having lateral extensions at its top, and a retained member of-thin fiat material having a tongue at its top insertablebetween the arms of the retaining member at the top of the slot at an angle of inclination to said arms, and lateral projections insertable into the lateralextensions of the slot after the tongue is inserted between said arms, said. projections being located between said arms against the fold to prevent separationof said members by to form a longitudinal slot having lateral extensions at its top, and a retained member of thin flat metal having a tongue at its top insertable between the arms of theretaining member at the top of the slot, lateral projections insertable into the lateral extensions of the slot when the tongue is inserted, said projections being located between said arms against the fold to prevent separation of said members by relative outward movement when the members are completely assembled, and means on said retained member to abut said connection and locate said projections at said slot extensions when the parts are moved toward each other during disassembly thereof.

SENA M. WARD. 

